To: Yale Administration
We, the undersigned proud members of the Yale community, denounce the behavior of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity pledge class on Wednesday October 13, 2010. On that night, under the instruction of leaders of the fraternity, DKE pledges marched through Old Campus chanting “No means yes! Yes means anal!” This threatening behavior contributes to an unsafe environment for everyone, an environment in which sex is treated as conquest.
We ask that President Levin publicly denounce the behavior of these young men. The university administration has an opportunity to send a strong message about the culture it seeks to foster, the values it espouses, and the conduct it expects of students. By not offering an unequivocal denunciation from the Office of the President, the university communicates indifference to DKE’s actions.
It is time for Yale to take action to address the culture around sexual speech and acts on campus. Events over the last few years have shown that this is necessary, from Zeta Psi’s “We Love Yale Sluts” sign in 2008, to an email rating freshwomen on their appearance last fall, to this year’s DKE incident. As members of the wider Yale community, we are concerned that Yale is allowing an environment to grow in which sexism, sexual harassment, and hate speech are seen as isolated and trivial incidents, rather than as serious issues warranting university response.
Finally, we stand with everyone on Old Campus and beyond who was offended or felt threatened by these actions. We applaud those students who have courageously spoken out against these acts in the last week and over the past years. We stand by all who are taking action to build a non-violent Yale based on mutual respect and dignity. You have our support.
Signed,
Proud members of the Yale community
We invite Yale Alumni, faculty, staff, and parents to sign the petition. The letter and signatures will be published in a Yale Daily News ad later this week.
To sign, click here and scroll down to the comments. We have just started a fresh signature list, because the volume of signatures was slowing computers and making it difficult to sign. (There is a link below to the initial 1900 signatures.)
Leave a comment below with your name, Yale affiliation (Yale College, SOM, YSM, faculty, staff, parent, etc.) and, if you are an alum, your Yale class year. Or, email your support to yaleresponse@gmail.com.
We invite you to leave a personal note or statement of support with your comment.
If you are signing after 11:41pm PDT on Tuesday, October 19th, your name may not appear in the Yale Daily News ad due to the printing deadline. However, PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME BELOW. We are continuing to collect signatures to show as much support as possible for this effort.
Then, after you sign, please take three more steps:
1. Spread the word to others in the Yale community.
2. Please click on “Donate” at the top of this page and make a contribution toward the cost of Yale Daily News ad.
3, If you’d like, click here to see in the initial 1900+ signatures and read comments.
Note: Photo credit: Marc Smith
BR 81.
I fear, after reading Dean Miller’s statement, that hateful acts such as these aren’t seen as isolated, trivial incidents, but rather as part of the way things *should* be — as if there’s some kind of political dialog going on, in which the idea that sexual assault is OK should be accorded legitimate recognition even as it’s politely argued against.
Diana Helweg Newton, Yale ’88
Rebecca E. Walker, 2005
Henry Cordes, Yale College 2005
Amy Zimmer, Yale College 1998
From what I have read, it appears that President Levin, not any other spokesperson, should condemn the alarming and hurtful behavior of the DKE pledges and those who fomented their actions.
Sarah Chihaya, Yale College 2005
I am one political candidate (albeit I am not running this year) with alumni status who has hosted two Domestic Violence Awareness events this month (we do an annual candlelight vigil in our Council Chambers and also an annual Motorcycle ride for Domestic Violence awareness month). I am also signing the petition. –Chuck Lesnick, Yonkers City Council President
Yale College Class of 2002
Consent Volunteer
Marion Pope, sister of current student, active in the Violence Against Women Movement.
Han Adele Li
Yale College Class of 2009
Yale College ’00.
Sarah Duman Serrano, ’00
Thank you for this incredible work and leadership –– for leading a public, powerful response to the DKE fraternity. While not a Yale alumnus, I sign as a show of my support for this petition. As a faculty member at another institution, I certainly feel educators across the country should speak out against any action on a University campus that creates fear and an atmosphere of violence.
Allison Carruth
Assistant Professor of English
University of Oregon
Yale College ’99
The actions of the DKE fraternity are disgraceful and the fraternity should be censured or penalized in some meaningful way.
I fully support this effort.
Yale College ’00
ES 10
Yale Graduate School 1990
JE ’97
Yale College, TD ’98
Thank you, to the organizers of this petition.
TC ’02
Yale College, MC 2011
Parent Yale College 2010 & 2012
Ronald Gregg
Senior Lecturer, American Studies and Film Studies
Yale – take a meaningful stand against this kind of behavior instead of merely holding a “forum.”
Yale College, MC 2007
I am ashamed of the Yale administration’s weak reaction t this incident. It would have well behooved the to immediately shut down DKE for the remained o the school year to emphasize that it will not tolerate such behavior on Yale property.
This is not a prank; this is an outrage. And, i I were a young woman considering Yale as my university, I would think again.
Yale College, BK 97
Yale College, MC ’08
Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 2010
Yale College, PC ’12
Yale Law School 2012
Laura Baum, Yale College 2001
Thank you for taking action against the violence
Eli Bildner, YC ’10
Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Evan Kelner-Levine, Yale College 2012
Yale College ’06
Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2011
Thank you. I fully support these efforts. I am not affiliated with Yale but this is all of our business, because it affects our friends, sisters, daughters, etc. I found this incident shocking. I don’t think it’s seriousness can be over-stated and the response should be commensurate.
Matt Akamatsu, Yale Grad ’13
Jennifer Fribourgh, Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2013
Hannah Frank, Yale College ’06
Rebecca Reider, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies 2005
Bravo for standing up!
co-founder Consent, SY ’94
co-founder Consent, SY ’94
founding member Consent, BR ’94
Catharine Axley, Yale College 2010
Yale School of Art ’08
Ken Robinson, Yale College 1971
The DKE apology is hollow – I strongly concur with the statement, “By not offering an unequivocal denunciation from the Office of the President, the university communicates indifference to DKE’s actions.”
Silliman, 2012
Women’s rights and safety are not a joke. This behavior is a norm at Yale, and it’s not okay. As a woman on campus, I have been the target of sexist and racist attacks by Yale males. I’m tired of being ‘jokingly’ put down and silenced.
Josh Stanley
Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2016
Yale PhD German Literature 1965
Raymond Woodring
Yale Law 2004
These children, obviously they can’t be called men, need to be disciplined.
Yale College 2010.
DKE should be punished.
though the YDN editorials may do more harm than the chants… i expected better from that paper.
[…] To add your name to the petition, click here. 2. To see or download today’s ad in the Yale Daily News, click here. (FORTHCOMING) […]
GSAS ’11
Bertram Chan, Yale SY ’00
Katie Scharf, MC ’99, YLS ’06
Emalie Mayo, Yale School of Drama staff
Mimi Do, SY ’00
Katherine Unterman, GSAS ’11
Thank you
SY 1997
Oops oops. … ES 2011
Suzanna Krivulskaya, M.A.R. ’11
Yale Divinity School
Ian Ayres
Yale College, ’81
Yale Law School, ’86
Townsend Professor, Yale Law School
Yale College ’97
Patricia Florio
Yale Law School, Staff
This is a serious matter, which Yale should treat seriously.
Doctoral Candidate, American Studies, ’11.
Yale College, ES ’00
’99
Yale College, ’00
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, ’10
Yale College, ’00
Trip Kirkpatrick, Yale College ’93, current Yale staff
In President Levin and Dean Miller’s letter to the Yale community, they made a point of saying that “DKE is not a Yale College organization.” In light of their actions, why should they be allowed to use Yale property?
GRD 1992
Stephanie Moore
Yale College, ES ’01
YLS Staff
BK 99
Yale College, SY 00
TC’00
PC ’00
Cori Lable, MC ’98, LAW ’04
Yale College, PC 1990
Staff, GSAS
Tate Gardner, Yale College, 2000
Please add my name to the petition.
TC ’00
Signing off. Take rape threats seriously.
We all need to grow up. Today. Demeaning women is never ok.
BK ’04
Thanks for creating such a rapid response to this situation.
Shelby Davis-Cooper, TD ’14
BR ’78, MPH ’82, parent of CC ’12
We’ve been waiting several decades for Yale’s administration to take a clear stand against sexual harassment in all its forms.
That DKE needs to be severely punished, like the spoiled and mean little boys so many excuse them for being, is beyond obvious.
They did not act like the intelligent, responsible future leaders Yale is supposedly preparing them to be.
This is a test for Yale’s current leaders, and they are fully capable of passing with honor if they choose to do the right thing.
GSAS ’11
SY ’11
SY 1980
Yale College, SY ’89
I find it unbelievable that you have yet to take serious administrative action. Clearly you are tone deaf to the issue of women’s lives on campus.
M’Arch ’89
To the Yale administration,
if it can be said that at Yale we educate the next generation of leaders of our society, then we must ask ourselves if this is behavior we would tolerate in our leaders, or an outlook we wishto allow into our society. to shape a mind is to encourage the positive and even the offbeat, but surely we can draw a line and sharply censor our future leaders and future fellow alumni if they glorify sexual violence. limits are taught, not absorbed by osmosis, and anyone who will go through life with the honor, privilege and access of a Yale diploma should surely be taught better than this please take a stand lest we all have our honor stained and our achievment lessened. The Yale name and seal adorns my office wall for all to see. Let’s make sure it continues to stand for urim v’tumim, lux et veritas, light as well as truth.
Matan Koch BK ’02.
,
Yale College, ES ’88, YGS ’92
Yale College (Pierson) 1990
WUSTL 05
Yale College, 1989
As an alumnus I am saddened that Yale administration has not taken more serious administrative action. Yale should not tolerate the broadcast of sexual violence in any form. Please acknowledge the larger Yale community’s denunciation of this action and do the same.
TD ’01 Cheers on the ad.
I’m going to withhold my 10-year class gift until I see a stronger stance taken by the university against sexual assault and harassment. It’s been 10 years since I graduated, and the administration still outfits its reluctance and inaction regarding this issue in a jester’s suit of impotent press releases and e-mails about the need for anonymity. I may even return my donation card saying as much. Not what one expects from a top university. The young women and men at Yale deserve to be known for better.
Yale School of Public Health 2007.
“Feminists at Yale should remember that, on a campus as progressive as ours, most of their battles are already won: All of us agree on gender equality.” REALLY Yale Daily News?! Gender equality means women shouldn’t have to fear being sexually assaulted or raped.
Thanks.
SY 2000
Yale College ’06
Parent
Yale College
SY 07
Noelle York-Simmons DIV ’03
MAR 1997
Yale College 88
Yale Law School 06
Assistant Professor of Law
St. Louis University
Jessica Glennon-Zukoff.
Friend of Yale first-year.
Feminist solidarity.
Mills College ’13
Women’s Studies and English Literature
I am the daughter of a DKE, the mother of a female Yale graduate, and the sister-in-law of a DKE who honored my father by funding a brick at the Yale DKE house. I am deeply ashamed that my family name is in anyway associated with this disgraceful misconduct.
I hope that the Yale administration will make every effort to make this a teachable moment that brings real and necessary change to Yale.
Just hours before the news of this incident broke nationally, I was casually discussing Yale life with my boss and actually uttered the words that while racism, classism and xenophobia were pretty readily available during my time there, I found it pretty hard to pinpoint any examples of sexism. Then the news of DKE’s deplorable actions broke. This incident has only shed light on how common rape and sexual assault is in America and at our most prestigious institutions. President Levin must come out and take a stand against this type of behavior and destructive culture that apparently permeates and informs the lives of our future leaders.
Valerie Idehen SY ’04
Yale College MC ’12
Yale SOM ’12
Calhoun College,
Yale Class of 2004
Yale PC ’01
Yale BR ’08
After over forty years of co-education, the Yale community should show more respect for women on campus and the administration should take action to make it clear that this kind of behavior is not acceptable to the community.
Edinburgh University
Yale College TC ’05
Princeton University ’02
Yale School of Medicine ’11
Yale School of Management ’11
University of North Carolina
University of Virginia.